


The Other Captain

by Suzanne_Ely



Category: Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Mirror Universe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 16:46:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13574736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suzanne_Ely/pseuds/Suzanne_Ely
Summary: Prime Lorca and Mirror Lorca switched place and while we know what happened to Mirror Lorca, Prime Lorca’s fate remains unclear.Here are the voyages of the ISS Buran into uncharted territory under the command of a man from another universe.(Usual disclaimer applies: I don’t own the characters who belong to their rightful owners. This is for the sole purpose of entertaining AO3 readers.)





	The Other Captain

 

  
“Captain! They are closing in on us! We won’t be able to sustain more hits at this rate!”

The first officer’s voice was tense. The odds weren’t in their favour. Lorca took the padd from which he could access the ship’s control and stared at the self-destruct command.

“Captain! They have boarded the ship!”

The chief of security’s warning came through the coms but was cut short in a matter of seconds. They stood no chance against the Klingons. They were outnumbered and were looking at a horrendous death at the hand of their enemies should they be taken prisoners. Lorca stood up, his mind set. The crew looked up at him and he realised that they knew what he was about to tell them. They seemed resigned to their fate, just like he was.

“It has been an honour serving among you all. You have been exemplary Starfleet officers and I’m proud about what we have accomplished together. Our sacrifice won’t be in vain.”

He exchanged a glance with his first officer, feeling strangely relaxed as if his mind was finally at peace after the restless hours.

“Computer, initiate self-destruct sequence, authorisation…”

He couldn’t finish his sentence. Four Klingons had beamed directly on the bridge, one straight in front of him. Lorca saw his own death in the warrior’s eyes but his only thought was that he had failed his crew. From that moment, everything seemed to happen in slow motion.  
The Klingon pointed his weapon at him while his first officer activated an emergency transport to save him. The Klingon fired as the transport beam surrounded the captain. Lorca closed his eyes…

  
…Lorca opened his eyes and staggered, taking a grip on his chair to restore his balance. He frowned. He wasn’t supposed to be on the bridge anymore. His first officer had beamed him away to ensure that he would be able to complete the self-destruct sequence. Something had gone wrong, which would also explain why he felt dizzy. Lorca straightened and realised instantly that something was wrong indeed. It was the Buran’s bridge alright, its crew most certainly as well and yet they were different. The Federation insignia was gone and the crew’s uniforms weren’t Starfleet.

“What happened?”He asked to no one in particular.

“I was about to ask you the same question,” Commander Saur, the first officer replied.

Lorca’s gaze rested on the view screen. Instead of the battlefield he was expecting to see, he was staring at what seemed to be a particularly nasty ion storm.

“Reduce speed and shut all non essential systems. This might be the only way to survive this one,” he ordered instinctively.

No one complied. Instead, the crew turned towards the first officer who was considering Lorca with curiosity.

“Do as he says,” he finally decided. “He has a point.”

After the crew carried out Lorca’s orders, the ship seemed to stabilise herself. She was no longer fighting the storm but it appeared that she was carried away by it.

“I think that we deserve an explanation,” Commander Saur said once he made sure that the ship was stable enough. “You look like Captain Lorca, you sound like him, yet I can tell that you are not him. Who are you?”

The Starfleet officer considered his options, but they were quite limited right now. It made little doubt in his mind that he had reached another dimension or a different universe, and while he couldn’t yet explain how this had happened, he decided to tell the crew about his situation prior to the transport malfunction.

“I'm Gabriel Lorca, Captain of the USS Buran. We were ambushed by Klingons. We were hit pretty badly and when they boarded the ship, I decided to initiate the self-destruct sequence. I wasn’t going to let the Klingons put their hands on my ship and my crew.”

He then told them about the emergency transport and that his last memory was of a Klingon firing at him. He looked down at his chest, but there was no trace of the shot.

“Our story is quite similar. We were ambushed too and we were trying to escape when we encountered the ion storm. Our engine had sustained some damages and our captain beamed to Engineering to assess the situation but there was a malfunction.”

The lack of sincerity in the first officer’s story told Lorca that he wasn’t being entirely honest with him. There was more to it than met the eyes but the Starfleet officer refrained from questioning him. He was in unknown territory and had to treat very carefully.

“Can you get us out of this storm?” Asked Commander Saur.

 “Yes.”

“Then we will temporarily place ourselves under your command until we are safe. Once we are out of danger, we shall see how to deal with you.”

The Starfleet officer focused on the immediate issue, namely the ion storm.

“Scan our surroundings; I want to know how deep inside we are.”

“Sir! Scanners reveal the presence of a wormhole nearby. We are heading towards it!”

A wormhole in an ion storm, that couldn’t be good.

“Monitor our progress. We don’t want to get too close.”

But it seemed that the wormhole was attracting the ship. The navigation officer was unable to change course and Lorca knew that they were engaged in a race against time. The Buran wasn’t equipped to resist an ion storm and since the ship had been damaged already, he didn’t want to push her harder.

“Full stop, engage rear thrusters.”

“We are still getting closer, Sir.”

The captain ignored the concern in the navigation officer’s voice and he turned towards the science officer indeed, showing self confidence.

“Launch a probe inside the wormhole and get as many readings as you can. I want to know if it’s stable and big enough for the Buran to go through it.”

“This is madness!” Commander Saur shouted. “Belay that order, Lieutenant!”

“We are attracted to it as it is,” snapped Lorca. “Now is not the time for second guessing me! Launch the damn probe!”

The science specialist complied, avoiding eye contact with the angry first officer.

“Don’t make me regret my earlier decision,” warned the Buran’s first officer. “I won’t let you destroy this ship.”

“Since I don’t intend to, you might as well trust my judgment,” replied Lorca. “Status?”

The science specialist looked up from his console, his features expressing something between surprise and admiration.

“The probe has reached the other side of the wormhole. It doesn’t seem to have sustained damages, its readings are steady. I detect no trace of the ion storm on the other side and the wormhole seems to be stable.”

“Can we cross it?”

“Yes Sir. It might be a bumpy ride, but according to my readings, the Buran could manage.”

“Alright. Disengage thrusters. Helm, get us through that wormhole nice and steady.”

The ion storm was soon replaced with an interesting view and the explorer in Lorca took over.

“Lieutenant Humbran, take some readings while we are at it. This might be our only opportunity to study a wormhole from up close. We can’t miss it.”

“Aye, aye, Sir.”

Going through the wormhole proved to be quite a bumpy ride indeed, but under Lorca’s guidance, the crew succeeded in bringing the ship safely on the other side.

“Status?”

“Our engines are still offline, Captain,” the Chief engineer stated apologetically. “I’m doing my best to give you some power.”

“In the meantime, we are sitting ducks,” sighed Lorca. “Where are we?”

Before anyone could reply, Commander Saur addressed the chief of security and Lorca was brought back to this reality:  
“Lieutenant Tryle, take this impostor to the brig.”

The crew looked as Lorca was escorted out of the bridge, glances were exchanged and the captain realised that he had earned some respect among them. For a moment, when they were travelling through the wormhole everything had felt so familiar. He knew this crew, his crew and yet they were strangers to him…

  
“For what it’s worth, I don’t think this is fair, Sir,” admitted Tryle while locking Lorca inside a cell. “You saved our lives today and we owe you. You shouldn’t been treated like a criminal.”

The Starfleet officer smiled:  
“Thank you, Lieutenant. But I don’t belong here and as such, your first officer is in command. He needs to do what’s best for the Buran and her crew.”

The chief of security was obviously of a different opinion but he remained silent and left, leaving Lorca alone with his thoughts. The captain’s mind wandered to his Buran. Did the other Lorca end up there? Did they exchange places? And if so, did his doppelganger finish what he had started? Would he protect his crew the same way he just did here? For the sake of the fine Starfleet officers he had served with, he hoped so.

Lorca had have time to reflect on his situation when Lieutenant Tryle returned.

“Commander Saur wants to see you on the bridge.”

He escorted the prisoner back. The crew stared as he stepped on the bridge. The chief of security resumed his position at his console while Lorca walked towards Saur, facing him.

“It turns out that the wormhole brought us in an unchartered area of space. We have no idea where we are and we can’t go back the way we came. The wormhole collapsed a little while ago. We now share the same fate. You are a stranger among us and we are strangers all together in this territory. You have proven valuable and you’ve earned the crew’s respect, including mine. The ISS Buran was meant to be under Captain Lorca’s command and that’s you, despite the fact that you come from a parallel universe. I therefore offer you to take command and to help us go back to where we belong and that includes you. You have my word that our Chief engineer will try to figure out a way to get you back from where you came and get our Captain Lorca back in the process.”

He paused, allowing the Starfleet officer to swallow the news.

 “What say you?” Finally asked Saur.

“I accept.”

Lorca extended his hand and the first officer shook it.

“Long live Captain Lorca; long live the Empire!” The crew shouted with one voice.

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant as a one shot in order to illustrate my theory about Prime Lorca whereabouts. Now that it’s done, I’m toying with the idea of expanding this universe and write further stories. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t…


End file.
